Linn Katan vs Linn Keilidh

Hi, To start out, I have owned both but neither with Linn electronics (I used a Jolida 1501A hybrid). The reason I sold the Katans is for the same reason you are looking to replace them but I liked them so much I bought a pair of Keilidhs. The bass was much improved and still impresses me today. The only drawback (if you can call it that)is the Keilidhs are more laid-back then the Katans. Life is a series of trade-offs, and this is one. You might want explore a very musical sub (I know..ugh)but his depends on what you like and the room's sonic characteristics. For me, I'm satified for now. Good luck, Milo

I love my Keilidh's. I run them Aktiv with two LK100's. They have plenty of bass being flat to 40 cycles. Your musical tastes may demand more bass (organ music?) but I'm more than satisfied. They really come alive with a good tube preamp. Anything but laid back done that way. At their used price point they are a tremendous bargain.

Lugnut...you can do activ with another brand pre? tube too? what do you have?

You bet you can. The preamp simply feeds a full signal to the crossover cards in the amps. It doesn't matter which brand of preamp you use as long as it has the proper voltage to excite the amplifiers. As I said in my previous post I've used a Supratek Syrah. This was loaned to me as I was installing a low output moving coil cartridge for a friend and my Linn preamp didn't really have enough gain to do this cartridge justice. The Syrah will handle any cartridge. When I put it in my system it was a genuine jaw dropping experience. It didn't just change my system for the better. It transformed my system. I still am in awe of the benefits.

Of course, I don't have enough free money to buy such a preamp so I have tried to do it on the cheap. I've succeeded somewhat but not at the level I experienced with the Supratek, but then the Supratek retails for about $3000 for the remote version I used. I picked up an Audible Illusions Modulus II manufactured in 1985. I bought some new tubes from AI. Total investment is about $360. I'm pretty satisfied with this but still would like to step up to a better preamp.

I feel pretty darn lucky to have learned this lesson. With a great preamp I was also able to hear the huge differences between cables. Previously, I could hear the differences but would never have used the term "huge" to describe the effects. When I replaced the black, Linn interconnects with the Ridge Street Midnight Silver's Gen. II's the effect was like replacing another component.

I hope you have audio friends that will allow you to audition a tube preamp in your system some day.

I still have my Wakonda but it's not being used. The rest of my system is an LP12, two LK100's Aktiv and the Keilidh's. I've owned a Genki and loved it but don't have enough digital software to justify having a CDP.